Rail supporting structure



March 6, 1962 e H. TISDALL 3,023,992

RAIL SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 15, 1956 447 Y m 5 4 I 4 a i 60 J 4 IN VEN TOR.

GNP/V57 H 77600444 A rrokzve-r;

United States Patent 3,023,992 RAIL SUPPORTING STRUTURE Garnet H. Tisdall, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich, assignor of one-half to Crews Die Casting Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 15, 1956, Ser. No. 565,691 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-251) This invention relates to a structure for anchoring bars, piping, or rails, such as hand rails, towel racks, and the like on a supporting structure such as a Wall.

An exemplary application of the invention is in a hand rail or grip mounted on a wall adjacent .a bathtub as an aid to stepping safely into and out of the tub and to moving around safely while in the tub.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive rail anchor structure adapted for rapid, convenient installation and arranged to present a neat, attractive appearance.

The invention generally contemplates the use of a stud adapted to be mounted on a wall, a rail holder having a sleeve engaging the outwardly projecting stud, and a wall engaging flange for providing an attractive cover for the stud. The stud, sleeve and flange have generally concentric portions secured together by a single pin. One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a generally sectional view illustrating an anchor according to this invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rail holding element separate from the other parts.

FIG. 3 is a generally sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a device according to this invention secured to a wall 12 and supporting a rail 14 such as a safety hand rail. Anchor 10 includes a hollow stud 16 arranged to project through an opening 18 in wall 12 which is shown as being formed of concrete. The inner end 20 of the stud has a toggle 22 pivoted thereto as at 24, and the shank of the stud is threaded as at 26 for engagement with a nut 28.

The holder 30 for rail 14 preferably comprises a single piece of material such as sheet metal or plastic fashioned to provide a sleeve 32 contoured to fit around rail 14 and a sleeve 34 extending transversely to sleeve 32. In the form of the invention shown the sleeves are perpendicular to each other. Sleeve 34 has round contour and fits slidably within the outer end 36 of tube 16. A round insert 38 fits in supporting relation within sleeve 34 (FIG. 1).

Anchor structure 10 includes a ferrule or flange 40 having generally the form of a truncated cone with an apex 42 fitting slidably around outer end portion 36 of stud 16 and with an outwardly flared base 44 arranged to seat against wall 12 or a covering material 46 such as wall tile as shown in FIG. 1. Apex 42, the outer end portion 36 of the stud, sleeve 34 and insert 38 have apertures which can be aligned to receive a pin 48 for securing the parts together.

To mount a rail 14, hole 18 is bored through wall 12 and its covering material 46 and end 20 of the stud is inserted therethrough. Toggle 22 rotates gravitationally to engage the reverse face of the wall (FIG. 1). Nut 28 is screwed against the outer face of the wall so that it and toggle 22 form clamps to fix stud 16 rigidly on wall 12. A washer 50 may be provided beneath nut 28 as shown.

Flange 40 is positioned over stud 16 with its base 44 against wall covering 46 and its apex around the outer end 36 of sleeve 16. Sleeve 34 and insert 38 are inserted within open end 36 of the stud. Ferrule 40, sleeve 34 and insert 38 are adjusted so that their openings are in registry "ice and the parts are secured together by inserting pin 48 through the aligned openings. Sleeve 32 is thus supported in a position spaced from wall 12 for supporting rail 14. Rail 14 may be inserted through sleeve 32 before or after its connection to stud 16. Studs of different lengths may be used for walls 12 of different thicknesses.

The form of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to the principal form except that stud 52 is preferably solid and has one end portion 54 pointed and threaded for penetrating a wooden wall 56 shown as having covering material 46 such as wall board mounted thereon through furring 58. Sleeve 34 of the rail holder fits slidably around the exterior of outer end 60 of stud 52 and apex 42 of the flange fits around sleeve 34. Apex 42, sleeve 34 and the stud are secured together by pin 48 extending through aligned openings therein as shown in 7 FIGS. 3 and 4.

I claim:

1. Rail structure adapted to be secured adjacent a wall comprising, a stud adapted to be fastened to a wall with a portion projecting from the wall to provide a support, a rail holder having the form of a tube which is longitudinally split along one side, a pair of projections extending from the portions of the tube adjacent the split and cooperating to define a sleeve slidably engageable around the exterior end portion of said stud, said tube being continuous around its periphery between the edges defining said split, a rail extending within said tube and having a peripheral portion engaged against the end face of the stud, a ferrule having a base adapted to seat on the wall and having a portion engaging around said sleeve immediately adjacent its connection to said tube, said ferrule portion holding said sleeve snug around said stud with said tube engaged around said rail, said ferrule, sleeve, and stud having aligned holes therein which extend generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of said stud, and a pin passing through said holes to fasten said ferrule, sleeve, and stud together, said pin frictionally engaging within said holes to remain in its position for fastening said stud, sleeve, and ferrule together.

2. Rail structure adapted to be secured adjacent a wall comprising, a stud adapted to be fastened to a wall with a portion projecting from the wall to provide a support, said stud having a hollow outer end portion, a rail holder having the form of a tube which is longitudinally split along one side, a pair of projections extending from the portions of the tube adjacent the split and cooperating to define a sleeve slidably engageable within the interior of said hollow end portion of said stud, said tube being continuous around its periphery between the edges defining said split, an insert within said sleeve adjacent the hollow end portion of said stud, a rail extending within said tube and having a peripheral portion engaged against said insert, a ferrule having a base adapted to seat on the wall and having a portion fitting around said end portion of said stud, said ferrule, end portion of said stud, said sleeve and said insert having aligned holes therein which extend generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of said stud, and a pin passing through said holes to fasten said ferrule, stud, sleeve, and insert together, said stud frictionally engaging within said holes to remain in its position for fastening said ferrule, stud, sleeve, and insert together.

3. In an anchor of the type having a stud adapted to be fastened to a Wall with a portion projecting from the wall to provide a support for a rail adjacent the wall, a rail holder having the form of a tube split longitudinally along one side and being circum ferentially continuousbetween the edges defining the split, said tube having a portion adjacent each side of said split formed to provide a generally semi-circular shoulder extending transversely of the longitudinal extent of said stud, said shoulders being in substantial alignment with each other, a generally perpendicular projection from each shoulder, said projections cooperating to form a generally annular sleeve, said sleeve telescopinglyfitting the outer end of said stud, and a ferrule having a base adapted to seat on the wall and having a portion fitting around said end of said stud and said sleeve, said portion of said ferrule having a generally annular end face which abuts against said shoulders on said tube, and a pin extending transversely of said stud securing said ferrule, stud, and sleeve together.

4. The combination comprising a rail, a stud adapted to be fastened to a wall with a cylindrical end portion projecting from the wall to provide a support for the rail, a rail holder comprising a tube formed from a single piece of material and fashioned to produce a section defining 7a first sleeve surrounding the rail and a projection extending from each end of the section and defining a second sleeve projecting laterally from the rail, the end portion of Said stud being cylindrical, the second sleeve being cylindrical and adapted to surround and engage the cylindrical end portion of the stud, said first sleeve being continuous around its periphery between the projections dejfining said second sleeve, said stud having its free end engaging said rail, 2. ferrule having a generally frustoconical portion adapted to engage the wall and a cylindrical portion at the apex of the frusto-conical portion, said cylindrical portion of said ferrule engaging the outer periphery of said second sleeve adjacent the end of said stud, said stud, second sleeve and cylindrical portion of the ferrule having aligned apertures, and means extending through said apertures for assembling said stud, rail holder and ferrule.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 492,593 Taylor Feb. 28, 1893 540,750 Minnemeyer June 11, 1895 1,063,852 Carpenter et a1 June 3, 1913 1,096,282 Boehm May 12, 1914 1,837,930 Waite Dec. 22, 1931 1,881,168 Brady Oct. 4, 1932 2,200,888 Mace May 14, 1940 2,452,186 Fluharty Oct. 26, 1948 2,557,370 Bussmann June 19, 1951 2,847,177 Ronan Aug. 12, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,057 Great Britain July 8, 1898 530,599 Germany July 30, 1931 

